Condemnation continues to mount as FITUG slams WPA race-baiting

…says party leaders’ utterances should be confined to “dust bin of history”

Days after a controversial public meeting in which a Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader went as far as to suggest that the Disciplined Services should use their guns against the state, condemnation continues to flow against the party.
Joining the condemnation was the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). The union made it clear it was “deeply disturbed and appalled” by the utterances of Dr David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye, during a recent public meeting organised by the WPA.
Asserting that their utterances are an attempt to stir racial excitement, the federation noted that both men have crossed “several moral and ethical boundaries. According to the union, while it supports free speech, their comments rightly attracted a national outcry.

“We are firm that such sentiments have no place in our society and their racial overtones may have well run afoul of our legislation seeking to promote racial harmony and cohesion. Given our country’s difficult past of tenuous race relations, the expressions by the leaders of the WPA demand our widest condemnation.”
“They have no place and should be confined to the dust bin of history. To engage in such narratives, in our view, demonstrates how far the WPA has drifted from its multi-ethnic moorings. Indeed, its founders must be turning wherever they maybe,” FITUG said.
According to the union, the comments of the WPA leaders are also indicative that the political grouping has run out of anything constructive to contribute to the national discourse and have instead chosen the low road in order to remain relevant.
“At this time, the FITUG call on all peace-loving and decent-minded Guyanese to reject the false narratives being peddled by personalities who are looking at self-interest rather than the national well-being,” FITUG further said.
During the public meeting, Ogunseye made a reference to the use of guns in the hands of the Disciplined Services.

Inflammatory
President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, had described the comments as inflammatory in a video broadcast on Saturday.
“Your President will stand up every single day for what is right. Will stand up every single day in support of democracy. In support of unity. In support of development. Because all the guns he’s talking about, let him turn them to me,” President Ali had said.

“Because no gun or bullet will stop us on this path of unifying our people. On this path of developing our country. On this path of uplifting the lives of our people. This is clear hate, terrorism and racism, that come off of that stage. All of Guyana should be upset. Imagine the Joint Services had to issue a statement!”
Condemnation for the WPA statements have come even from the Opposition camp. Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmonds had also joined President Ali and members of civil society in condemning the comments made during the meeting.
Other members of her party have also distanced themselves from the utterances. PNCR parliamentarians Ganesh Mahipaul and Natasha Singh-Lewis, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine and Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram, had released a statement of their own following the meeting.
The four PNCR members, who are of Indo-Guyanese descent, took issue with another part of the meeting in which a speaker denigrated the origins of Indo-Guyanese and distanced themselves from the remarks made.
In their statement, the four PNCR officials had condemned these comments made on stage. They also expressed disappointment that these comments were not challenged by any subsequent speaker. These subsequent speakers had included Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton. (G3)